Peace in Focus/Jamaa plans to publish next week the first issue of Akarusho +, a monthly community newsletter for and by youth. "Akarusho +" means "advantage plus, star of the youth" in Kirundi, the national language in Burundi. The newspaper will be staffed by participants of the Peace in Focus/Jamaa Summer 2008 Workshop.

Peace Photojournalists learn how to use a voice recorder for interviews.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Below is a slideshow of photos taken by the 16 participants in our Peace in Focus - Bujumbura workshop. They are 8 boys and 8 girls between the ages of 14-17 from Bujumbura and the surrounding region of Bujumbura Rural. They are former child soldiers, orphans of HIV/AIDS and the war, refugees, displaced and homeless youth. They represent the rich ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity of Burundi. Their stories represent an emerging narrative of resilient and dedicated youth from the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Through the following entries, you will learn about them, their stories, the activities they experienced during our workshop, as well as their creative and unique vision for peace and social change, which they wish to share with you.

These photos were showcased at the Burundian Palace of Art and Culture in late August 2008.

We are grateful to our local partner organization, Jamaa, which provided untold amounts of support and continues to work with these inspiring young people. This summer was the first step in what we hope will be a long-term effort by Peace in Focus to engage Burundian youth in a creative dialogue and visual discourse for peace and reconciliation in their country.

That which really interested me in this workshop is that I learned how to use shutter speed, the way to speed it up and slow it down. I also learned the role of the mediator and how he or she has to behave, that he has to be an intelligent person, neutral, calm, and someone with experience.

Yesterday I learned how to use shutter speed. If there is a lot of light, you can use fast shutter speed, if there is little light you use slow shutter speed. I also learned how to be a mediator between two people in conflict. First you must be an observer, neutral, impartial, and honest.

Also, a photo plays a large role. For example, you can secretly take a photo as proof in the case where someone refused to tell the truth.

I learned many things during the workshop (the difference between images of peace and images of conflict, how to correctly use a camera, the relationship between photography and conflict resolution and many other things...) It was a very good idea to come teach us this.

I begin by thanking the organizers of this workshop because we are really learning things we did not know before :-games-the distinction between images of peace and those of conflict-photography and conflict-positions and interests-gender stereotypes-excursions

Today we began by talking about leadership. We defined that it means to be a leader, gave some examples of leaders, and gave some opportunities for leadership.

After that we all left to go to Bujumbura Rural to visit the home of our friend and fellow participant Adeline. It was a beautiful excursion that required a lot of physical effort because we were in the hills. We also visited several historical monuments like the Mausoleum and the Monument of National Unity.

After coming back we continued to talk about leadership and then we saw the Slideshow – photos that we took the last week and we ended as usual with "Hats off!"

…What I liked today is that I learned how to control my anger. I was also interested in the games we played. In general, I appreciate the way in which the facilitators take care of us and explain things if we encounter difficulties. I also love learning photography because it will serve me in the future and in the reconstruction of my country.

First, I thank the organizers of this workshop because I learned many things I did not know before.

Since the first day of the workshop I learned how to distinguish images of peace and images of conflict and the following days I learned photography. Before I thought that it was something very simple, which anyone can do without learning but I saw that it’s more complicated than that. There are some essential things that one must know. Another thing I like alot are our excursions into the city, the beach, and elsewhere because I learn even more about photography.

Today I learned how to resolve conflicts with the system of « positions and interests ». One must listen well before deciding and this goes with effective communication where we learned that it is important to follow the discourse of the person who is speaking to you.

I also learned many interesting games. And I hope to learn even more in the days to follow.

I really liked this Friday because we went to several interesting places such as the Zoo (Musée Vivant) of Bujumbura where I saw animals I have never seen before in real life, only on TV, such as crocodiles and snakes… I also saw traditional houses and the royal palace.

After the museum, we went to the beach at Cercle Nautique (a seaside restaurant). There I saw fishermen and next to the lake I saw how several people try their best to remove the plants that pollute Lake Tanganyika. I really liked seeing people who are organized for a noble cause.

We took some very beautiful photos, which even people from elsewhere can appreciate, that show the beauty of our country, and that changes the photos we often see from here that show nothing but misery.

August 7, 2008 - Fourth Day of the Workshop: This day went very well, we did a lot of things I liked. I came today with a great desire to learn and I learned many things that will be useful to me throughout my life, such as : -what is conflict -the relationship between conflict resolution and photography -stereotypes -very interesting games

First about conflict resolution : I learned that there can be several types of conflicts - social conflicts, conflicts between two people, political conflict, personal conflict - and how to resolve them peacefully. Another thing of great importance that I learned is how to use photography to resolve a conflict. The most important points in photography (focus, angle, framing, timing, cropping, and zoom) can be useful in conflict resolution. With regard to stereotypes, I learned that the way in which a group is stereotyped is not necessarily the way it has to be – for example, the stereotype of Burundian women prevents them from doing certain things. It is up to each person to fight for their rights and not to expect others to do it for them. The most important thing is to know how to live all together.We played cool games, I especially liked the game "Elves, Wizards, and Giants ."To conclude, I would like to say that I learned a lot of things that will help me to live well in society.

First, I thank the Lord who gave me the opportunity to learn all the themes today, August 8, 2008, during the Peace in Focus workshop, which is currently taking place in Jamaa's public space. I am completely proud of the knowledge I acquired with respect to conflict and how to resolve conflict, whether individual, social, or international. I appreciate how our facilitators teach us and guide us in everything. They understand us easily by trying to place us on the same level through various games that can create solidarity between us. I also noticed that we were open through Crossing the Line : each one of us expressed herself or himself easy with respect to our experience. The first day I thought that I was the only one to have been traumatized, but that is not the case, so I can say that I share my problems with others that are about my age.I understood that the craft of photography goes hand in hand with conflict resolution (unforgettable points : focus, point of view, framing, timing, cropping, and zoom will serve me my whole life) which will help me and guide me to understand others ; studying photography is a real pleasure for me, I also learned many things about stereotypes. I just understood that we’re born different but we must help each other in times of difficulty.The importance of what I studied today is very extraordinary. « Conflict resolution leaves traces in my heart, I thought that there are things of which I am incapable but I know that I can and will succeed with courage, hope, and responsibility. »What I would like to share with you is « have courage and love in all and all will be good. »I like photography because it contributes to life as a whole….Man and photography go together.Thank you.

I discovered and learned many things from seeing Burundi’s historical photos. I saw what the Burundians in the past looked like and the princes of my country and many other things about our history, such as where prince Louis Rwagasore was assassinated and the people that killed him. I also saw a photo of the last king of Burundi Charles Ndizeye NTARE 5 who was 19 years old and was in power for 3 months before being a victim of a coup d’etat by Colonel Micombero, the first president of the Republic of Burundi. I also learned many others things.

During this game, I realized that various types of discrimination (racial, ethnic, religious, or gender related) are very bad and must be overcome and it’s best that we’re all united for this. I would recommend to everyone to avoid jealousy, and to know that they are all human beings with more similarities than differences.

I really liked that I learned many things about how to take pictures when we were in the city. It was a really good idea to organize this activity. I also had a lot of fun with my friends the participants and got to know them better. I would like to thank all those that were so cool with me.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

We invite you to take a glimpse into the lives of the participants from our Peace in Focus - Bujumbura workshop. Our August 4 - 15 workshop has 16 participants between the ages of 14-17. They are 8 girls and 8 boys. Among them, there are former child soldiers, orphans of HIV/AIDS and the war, refugees, displaced and homeless youth. They represent the rich ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity of Burundi.

Our Bujumbura participants on Day 1

More importantly, they are bright, astute, kind, hardworking, and hopeful young people that have a role to play in steering Burundi away from its violent past in the direction of social healing and an inclusive visual discourse about the future of their country. Their stories represent an emerging narrative of resilient and dedicated youth from the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Through the following entries, you will learn about them, their stories, the activities they experienced during our workshop, and their creative and unique vision for peace and social change, which they wish to share with you.

-Peace in Focus team

ATELIER DE PEACE IN FOCUS A BUJUMBURA : 2è JOURNEE

(Peace in Focus Workshop in Bujumbura, Day 2)

-Histoire de la photographie (History of Photography)

Moi j’ai été intéressée par ce que j'ai entendu sur la photographie son origine, ceux qui l’ont créé et son évolution dans le temps j’ai aussi les sortes d’appareils (mécaniques et numériques).(I was interested in what I learned about the history of photography, those that created photography, it's evolution over time and the different kinds of cameras.

Durant cette activité j’ai pu connaître mieux les autres participants, leurs passés, leurs vies, leurs rêves et leurs ambitions. Également c’était amusant d’interpréter le rôle de celui que chacun veut devenir (médecin, journaliste célèbre, sportif international, vedette de cinéma, hommes politiques. )(During this activity I was able to get to know the other participants, their past, their lives, their dreams, and their ambitions. It was also fun to role play the person that we want to become [doctor, a famous journalist, international athlete, a movie star, a politician.])

Monday, July 14, 2008

Saturday, July 12, 2008

We invite you to read about us, the participants of the Peace in Focus Boston workshop:

My name is Taylor! I am fourteen years old. I am going to be attending Fenway High School as a freshman sometime in September. My hobbies are reading, writing, going on the internet and talking with my friends. I am what you could call a loud person, but a fun person to be around. I have two brothers. One is older than me and the other is younger than me. In September I plan to be playing basketball for Fenway High School. My goals in life are to be the best that I can be and not try to be anyone else.

Hi my name is Catherine. I go to the McCormack Middle school. My family is from Vietnam. I grew up around cameras. What I would want to get out of this program is to make new friends and learn more about photography. I grew up taking pictures. All the pictures I have taken are of nature and flowers, but my main focus is on flowers. Through this program I want to learn more of what I love to do all the time. Now that the program has ended, what I want to take to my community is that we should all pick up our trash and be more involved in with what our city has to offer to us. Also, I want to have a spoken word day for all the poetry writers out there in my community.

My name is Dounia, and I am going into the seventh grade at the McCormack Middle School. I am a tomboy that loves animals. I also love taking pictures. I mostly take pictures of living things, like my dog, my family and friends. I play on a softball team, and I love sports. I love animals and I love Boston! Peace in Focus taught me things about a camera that I didn't even know existed! Now, I'm going to try to help people who can't defend themselves.

My name is Malcolm and here are some things about me and some things I like to do in my spare time. Some days I like to hang out with my friends and other days I like to go new places. I also like to get out and play sports ,and play video games is one of my favorite things to do when I have nothing to do. Generally I like to have a good time with my friends and family.

My Name is Alia. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995. I attend the Lilla G. Fredrick Pilot Middle School. In September, I will go into the 8th grade. In my spare time I love to take pictures, go on the computer and hang with my friends and family. My passion is to go to Harvard Law school and become a great lawyer. When I heard about Peace in Focus I was glad that there is a program that teaches kids about photography. Since it was about photography I wanted to be in it because I have a camera of my own and I got tired of taking snapshots and wanted to take pictures that meant something. I learned a lot more than I thought I would and I am glad I came here. Now that I have finished the program I would love to show my community how much trash there is and how we need to work together to clean it up. So my message to my community is "Keep the community Clean!"

My name is Geisha. I am 13 years old and I go to the McCormack Middle School. In September I will be going into the 7th grade. In my spare time I like to go on the computer and just take pictures around. Some things I like to photograph are people I know, myself, or just nature. In Peace in Focus, we talk about camera parts and conflict. It's really fun. Seriously, if next year they got it, I am really joining it. Well I love to take pictures, play the piano and joke around about people but I am not mean. My goal is to go around the community and get everyone together to hear my spoken word and write their own.

Hi, my name is Feysal. I was born in Somalia. When I was little boy I moved to Kenya, and I grew up in Nairobi. I started elementary school when I was eight years old. When I finished in 2007, I came to the United States of America. Then I went to a middle school called Frederick Pilot Middle School and now I am trying to get into the best high school in Boston, which are exam schools such as Boston Latin. Then after I finish high school I will try to get into one of the best colleges in the whole world. After Peace in Focus, I want to work with my community, and I will do everything I can to make my community better. I would like to make my community clean and peaceful. I will never give up fighting for what I learned in Peace in Focus.

My name is Jamal and I was born in Nairobi, Kenya. I'm 13 years old and I go to Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School. I came to America when I was three years old and I'm going into the 8th grade. I joined this program because I wanted to learn how to use cameras even better and focus on helping my community. After the Peace in Focus workshop I want to work on cleaning up my community because when I grow up I want to become an environmental scientist. The college I want to go to is MIT because they work on Math and Science and those are my favorite subjects.